Smyrna times., 1887-09-07

twilight had quite faded out of the Sky,
expecting, of course, like regularity Of
hours from his daughter.
Therefore, returning home on one occa-
sion unusually late-the bells Of an Epis-
cOpal chapel few blocks distant had Just
| struck 11-his ready wrath was kindled
by seeing feeble ray filtering out from
one Of the windows on the ground floor as
he approached his house. 1t disappeared
Immediately again, and Timothy supposed
| that was the way with these girls
that Bertha had grown nervous and crept
down and then into the back of the house,
the kitchen, there to wait for his return.
In accordance with this supposition, in
stead Of applying his latch key to the
front door he made a detOur by the side of
the house and came out by the broken
! fence surrounding the yard. There had
been a good many heavy clouds obstruct-
ing the moonlight, so that the night was
rather dark But at that moment the orb
shOne forth with sudden silvery splendor,
and Timothy distinctly saw some one
sOmething-dart rapidly across the yard.
Now, Timothy had well nigh forgotten
the occurrence of that other memorable
night. For a few days Though he had
never tolerated an allusiOn to 1t from
Bertha, after that one moment of horror
stricken 0bandOn) he had been haunted
with an abiding terror, which every now
and then sent the cold perspiration run
ming down his back. But that had worn
off, and he had recently only looked back
upon what had happened then as upon a
hallucinatiOn which had come Of his over
heated blood and overtaxed nerves, his
general indisposition; promising himself,
grimly, that if ever he wrought himself up
thinking of Beattie and all that dead busi-
ness again, buried long ago-weI, he
would know It'll
But all this elaborate and defiant
philosophy sank together like heap of
ashes when he saw that shadow cross his
yard. His knees shook and his hands
trembled. He stood stAl, with his arter-
les pounding wildly and his eyes staring
into the yard, which the moon, now yelled
once more, only illuminated in n faint
and ghOstly way.
Then he saw a ray Of light shine out
from the kitchen window To make one
dash for that became his only instinct.
To stand there o second longer had be-
come unbearable
He moved and passed through the gap
. in the fence. He took n few steps. Some.
thing moved in front of him,
He wanted to cry out, but his tongue
seemed glued to the roof of his mouth.
Again a sudden burst Of moonlight,
And this time no mistake, no dclusion
possible. Four steps in front of him,
turning a ghastly white face upon him,
rooted to the spot, stood Beattie
Beattie, as he had stolen up to the gap
in the fence that other night, pressed his
face through it and gazed ut him with his
distended eyes, and vanished!
A low cry of horror came from the
house. The kitchen door had been
opened. Bertha stood upon the thres-
hold. One second she stood, then she
glided forward and past the apparition
and threw herself on her fathers breast.
Father, fatherl Oh, don't look so awr
fully! Say something"
''Sir-Mr. Pinckney," said the appari-
tion, instead, and, for an apparition, it
had a wonderfully substantial voice,
though one that trembled and quaked.
81 can explain everything if you will let
me-"
eyes, yes; he can explain everything"
repeated Bertha, Historically.
''Yes, sir! Explain, sir! Explainp'
thundered Timothy Pinckney, in tremen-
dous tones. ''Who are You, sir3 Tres
passing in my yard at this time of night?''
Mr.. Plnckney, my name is Beattie."
''Beattie? see it is, siri Go on"
"And-and-and-Mr Pinckney, IL
I love Bertha and Bertha loves me-.
''The devil she dOesp'
''LoOk here, young man. If I'm not mis-
taken, used to know your father"
"Oh, father" moaned Miss Bertha
again.
Don't be foolr' said the old man
sharply to his offspring. Then-"Come
in. both Of you."
When the trembling culprits stood
under the dim light Of the talioy wick In
the kitchen, Timothy looked Beattie's son
over with lynx eyed scrutiny under his
beetle brows.
"Humph! You don't look so awfully
like your dad after nllp
Then-''How longs this thing been 90
ing on under my nose?'
We've been keepin' company since last
winter, Mr.. Pinckney, and Bertha prom
lsed to marry me then. Only rs you were
kinder opposed to her meetin young men.
we sorter kept it quiet, and Bertha, she
used to come out in the yard sometimes -
while you skunk around the fence,
"Oh, fatherw came from Bertha.
Timothy had been ruminating.
He looked up,
You got enough to support a WifeV'
Yes, sir!' proudly, from the expeetant
bridegroom.
"Weu you can have her"
"Oh, father, said Bertha five minutes
later, as father and daughter gained their
sleeping apartments upstairs, ''what-
what made you look so dreadful when YOU
saw Beattie standing in the yardY You
looked mOst-mOst as frightened as he
didr'
Hold your tongue and mind your busi-
ness, will your" said Timothy. And he
slammed his bedroom door.
He is still accumulating and rolling m
his gains, and neither his conscience nor
Beattie have troubled this tough old man
since.-Agnes Clifford in New York Mer-
curry.